i think it's the only way to hold on to profits and not give it back to the market. inmho, this is one of the most critical components of being consistently profitable over time.

i withdraw cash about 1x a month, sometimes more frequently, sometimes less frequently, depending on how well i'm trading. when my my index futures daytrading account reaches a certain level, i withdraw everything about that level. i try to maintain a certain level of capital, not less and not more in that account.

in another account which is just for swing trading and position trading stocks, i tend to let it build up more before taking anything out.

btw, it has taken me a long time to get to this point....not an easy road.

My mentality on this one is totally different. I have a full time job and whatever I make on that pays for all the bills. My trading account is extra cash. I have promise myself that I will not take any profits for a very long time until I hit the 7 figures or maybe close to it. This way my buying power grows bigger all the time. This is where the saying "MONEY MAKES MONEY" comes in to play. If I'm not comfortable on a trade I stay on the side, but the funds stays inside my account until I see a good trade.